The prior entry hypothesis contends that attention accelerates sensory processing, shortening the time to perception. Typical observations supporting the hypothesis may be explained equally well by response biases, changes in decision criteria, or sensory facilitation. In a series of experiments conducted to discriminate among the potential…

Traditionally the measures used to evaluate the impact of an educational programme on student outcomes and the extent to which students change is a comparison of the student's pre-test scores with his/her post-test scores. However, this method of evaluating change may be problematic due to the confounding factor of response shift bias when student…

A series of 8 tests was administered to university students over 4 weeks for program assessment purposes. The stakes of these tests were low for students; they received course points based on test completion, not test performance. Tests were administered in a counterbalanced order across 2 administrations. Response time effort, a measure of the…

We propose that researchers should utilize ratio scores when examining the response styles theory rather than examine each of the response styles separately. Higher ratio scores indicate a higher probability of engaging in ruminative, as opposed to distracting and problem solving, behaviors. In Phase One, we examined the factor structure and…

A new item analysis index, e, is derived as a function of difficulty and discrimination to represent item efficiency. (Author/RC)

Compared Edwards Personality Inventory (EPI) reliability under the Edwards' instructions (subject responds to the items as he believes those who know him best would answer if asked to describe him) versus the more conventional instructions (to describe yourself directly as you see yourself). (Author/RC)

A simple statistical test procedure for assessing questionnaire response validity is proposed. The technique assesses the joint probability that frequently reported behaviors are not reported and infrequently reported behaviors are reported. (Author)

Results of this study indicate that VPI acquiescence scale scores are suspect as indicators of the response style of acquiescence. (Author)

The goal of this study is to investigate how features of a rating scale developed for English-speaking populations interact with Spanish-speaking respondents' response styles and functional categories of judgment. A sample of 400 Spanish-speaking students took a translated scale and a scaling task developed to measure response sets and functional…

The impact of nonresponse on estimates of mental health problems was examined in a prospective teacher screen in a community survey of 9,155 7-9 year olds. For 6,611 of the children, parents consented to participation in the actual study (Responders), while for 2,544 children parental consent was not obtained (Nonresponders). The teacher screen…

Response bias has long been recognized as an issue in the behavioral and social sciences, especially in cross-cultural research. Transforming raw data into ipsatized data, individual scores subject to a constant sum constraint, is proposed to be an effective measure to minimize response bias. One major problem of applying ipsatized data is that…

A study of the influence audience reactions have on the individual members of the audience in judging speaker expertise. (CH)

Some of the ramifications of the linear order assumption underlying much of measurement theory are discussed. Ordering theory is then described as an alternative deterministic measurement model that does not make the linear order assumption. (Author/RC)